The Spurs, missing Victor Wembanyama and with Stephon Castle available for only a half, snapped a two-game losing streak by beating the Kings at home. De’Aaron Fox put the team on his shoulders and finished with 28 points, 11 assists, and some timely fourth-quarter buckets to help San Antonio secure a 123-110 win.
It wasn’t a perfect game by the Spurs, but they had several opportunities to run away with it. Despite not having its centerpiece, the home team had its bearings on offense early on. They
played through their guards but were unselfish, making a Kings’ defense that had terrible communication commit to the initial action only to fail to recover to the perimeter. The open threes fell and it didn’t take long for San Antonio to build a lead. DeMar DeRozan got some points on the boards for Sacramento, but Luke Kornet did a good job of walling off the paint and the visitors didn’t have the outside shooting to make up for it. As the benches checked in, the script remained the same. The Silver and Black were bigger, so they controlled the paint and the boards, and they had more range in their attack. The lead after one was 12.
The Spurs have a tendency to ease up when they should be trying to put opponents away, which happened in the second quarter on Sunday. Mitch Johnson went deep into his bench for some developmental minutes for Carter Bryant, which were not great. The transition defense wasn’t as conscientious across the board, and there were some miscommunications while playing zone, which allowed the Kings to get to the paint and score or draw fouls. Sacramento deserves credit for continuing to play through adversity, but the Silver and Black did themselves no favors for long stretches. Not everything was bad, fortunately, as Devin Vassell played with welcomed aggression, Kornet continued to do a good job inside, and Jeremy Sochan hit some threes. San Antonio allowed 35 points but managed to score 31 in the frame, which was enough to keep a lead heading into the break.
After passing up an opportunity to blow the game wide open in the second frame, the Spurs gave themselves another chance in the third, despite not having Stephon Castle available due to a hip injury. De’Aaron Fox orchestrated the offense beautifully, likely recognizing some familiar weaknesses in the Kings’ defense and punishing them by consistently finding open players inside. The lead ballooned to 19 and Sacramento seemed to have no answers. Alas, once again, San Antonio failed to sustain the pressure. Bryant checked back in and struggled. The visitors found some success attacking early and getting good position. A few turnovers and a few bad fouls helped them get into a rhythm. A terrible no-call on a clear goaltend by Drew Eubanks resulted in a technical. A lot went wrong and when the dust had settled, the Kings were only down 10 heading into the fourth.
The Spurs paid for failing to sustain their intensity for 48 minutes against Golden State in two painful home losses. Fortunately for them, the Kings don’t have the same talent, cohesion, and winning pedigree as the veteran Warriors. Sacramento got within six at one point, but they couldn’t make a big push. Vassell, Barnes and, more than anyone, Fox seemed determined not to let this one slip away. They all contributed big buckets when needed, with the star point guard shutting the door on any potential comebacks. It wasn’t always pretty, but San Antonio got a victory while missing Dylan Harper and Victor Wembanyama and only having Stephon Castle for one half. In the long NBA season, pulling off wins while shorthanded is important and the Silver and Black accomplished that. The consistency will come in time.
Game notes
- There have not been significant updates on the state of Wembanyama and Castle. Wembanyama was listed as questionable due to calf tightness and then downgraded to out. Castle was ruled out for the rest of the game at halftime with a hip injury, and Mitch Johnson said he didn’t have any more information after the game. Hopefully, their injuries are not serious.
- Seven Spurs scored in double digits, and 38 of their 47 buckets were assisted. While Fox was by far the best player on the floor and dismantled the Kings’ pick-and-roll defense, his teammates didn’t let him down.
- Devin Vassell also stepped up with Wemby and Castle out. He picked his spots, but he finished with 16 points and seven assists. The dimes were particularly valuable in Castle’s absence.
- Kornet is just who the Spurs thought he was: a rock-solid backup center who can step in and start if needed. He logged a double-double and blocked three shots while making the defense collapse by screening and diving relentlessly.
- The Kelly Olynyk-Jeremy Sochan duo looked fantastic. Olynyk got to show off his passing, logging eight assists. Sochan was left open from outside and made the defense pay by hitting two of his three three-point attempts. The opponent wasn’t the best, but those two have complementary skill sets, so it was good to see them thrive together.
- Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie hit their shots and played tough defense. Barnes’ slow start to the season is in the rearview mirror and Chamagnie seems comfortable off the bench after starting the first few games. Keldon Johnson is in the middle of a shooting slump from outside, but he contributed a double-double. The forwards are doing their jobs.
Next game: vs. Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday
The homestand continues. We don’t know if Wembanyama and Castle will be available, but even if they sit out, the Spurs should have a chance to win two in a row when they face the reeling Grizzlies, who’ve lost their past four games.
